Statues, most especially the ancient ones are considered monuments that are very iconic--- because most of them depict powerful people that have once existed, notable historical events, gods and goddesses. Some of these statues sometimes becomes a hidden place for other relics---a place where other treasures are hidden for some reasons and purposes.
Below are some of the weird things that have been discovered in some iconic monumental statues.
Two Letters Were Found In The Buttocks Of A Statue Of Jesus
Photo credit: National Geographic
A
few years ago, two letters were found hidden inside the buttocks of a
240-year-old statue of Jesus in St. Agueda, Spain. After a
preservationist made the discovery, the team removed a part of the
sculpture to reveal two notes inside the buttocks.
The notes
were written in 1777 by Joaquin Minguez, a clergyman at the Burgo de
Osma cathedral in Spain. Minguez wrote that the statue was made by
Manuel Bal, who also made similar sculptures for other cathedrals.
Minguez added that they had successfully harvested wheat, rye, oats, and
barley that season and had lots of wine in storage.
He also
wrote that typhoid had plagued their village and they often played ball
and cards to while away the time. He added that King Carlos III reigned
at that time and his palace was in Madrid. The church that owned the
statue had the letters duplicated. The originals were sent to the
Archbishop of Burgos to be archived, while the copies were returned to
the buttocks.
The Skeleton Of A Self-Mummified Monk Was Found Inside A Buddha Statue
Photo credit: The Telegraph
In
the 1990s, the statue of a Buddha was discovered to contain the real
skeleton of a monk. Apparently, the monk self-mummified sometime in the
10th century. His remains were later turned into a statue.
Self-mummification
is peculiar to Buddhists. It refers to a deliberate act by monks to
turn themselves into mummies as they slowly died. The process is long
and arduous. In fact, it begins three years before death. First, the
monks adopt a tree-eating diet. That is, they only feed on nuts, roots,
berries, and bark.
Between 1,000 and 3,000 days later, they
begin what is called nyujo. They stop eating and only drink water mixed
with salt as they slowly meditate to death. They are buried alive at the
brink of death. Their remains are later exhumed to confirm if they have
decayed or turned into a mummy.
Such mummies are rare and one
in a statue is even more unusual. In fact, the body of the Buddha we
mentioned earlier is the only known example of self-mummification inside
a statue.
After he died, his mummified remains were displayed
in a temple for two more centuries. However, the body slowly
disintegrated, prompting some monks to encase it in a statue. The
skeleton could not be analyzed over fears that it could disintegrate if
removed. However, an X-ray revealed that the skeleton was in perfect
condition.
Ancient Money Found Inside Ancient Chinese Statue
Photo credit: Live Science
In
2016, Australian art experts discovered an ancient banknote inside the
hollowed head of a 645-year-old wooden statue of a Chinese Buddha. The
banknote was the size of a standard letter, making it larger—and
weirder—than today’s bills.
Writings on the paper indicated
that it was issued in 1371. This was during the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang,
the first emperor of the Ming dynasty. The banknote was valued at one
guan, equivalent at the time to 1,000 copper coins or 28 grams (1 oz) of
silver.
Writings on the banknote encouraged citizens to
report counterfeiters, who were threatened with decapitation.
Nevertheless, this rare specimen is one of the earliest banknotes ever
made. This type of cash was almost exclusive to China in 1371. Europe
still used coins and slowly switched to banknotes about 300 years later.
Interestingly,
the discovery was only made by chance. The statue was being prepped for
auction when the banknote was found. Curiously, neither of its two
previous owners managed to find the bill. The banknote was later listed
for auction.
Statue Of Jesus Discovered To Contain Human Teeth
Photo credit: Live Science
In
2014, a wooden statue of Jesus was undergoing restoration in Mexico
when it was discovered to contain real human teeth. The statue was
called Christ of Patience and depicted Jesus as he awaited crucifixion.
He is bloodied and seated as he awaits his fate.
Preservationists
do not know how the 300-year-old statue ended up with real human teeth.
In truth, old statues from that region of Mexico often have real nails,
teeth, and hair. We have found a statue of baby Jesus with two small
rabbit teeth, a statue of a devil with dog teeth, and several other
statues with real human hair.
However, a statue with real
human teeth was unheard-of. The chompers were in perfect condition,
which sort of makes the whole thing weird. The mouth of the statue was
always closed, making the teeth almost impossible to see. In fact,
preservationists only discovered them while taking an X-ray of the
statue.
Preservationists suspect that the teeth were taken
from a living or dead worshiper who wanted them donated to the church.
Mexican Christians often donated body parts to churches in the 17th and
18th centuries. Alternatively, the teeth could have been forcibly taken
from somebody who did not want to donate them.
Cocaine
Photo credit: chron.com
Drug
smugglers need to be innovative to remain in business. This has seen
them inventing all sorts of strange methods to evade detection, such as
hiding drugs inside statues. A more radical method is to make sculptures
from drugs.
In 2010, police in Colombia recovered a World Cup
replica made with cocaine just before it was shipped out of Bogota
airport to Spain. The statue was made with 11 kilograms (24 lb) of
cocaine mixed with either acetone or gasoline so that it could be
molded.
In the United States, a statue of Jesus was seized
during transportation from Mexico to Dallas, Texas. The sculpture
contained 3 kilograms (6 lb) of cocaine and several other unidentified
materials so that the figure could be molded. Sniffer dogs uncovered the
plot.
Keys And Love Letters Found Inside A Statue Of Juliet
Photo credit: The Telegraph
A
few years ago in Verona, Italy, a bronze statue of Juliet—Romeo’s love
in the Shakespearean tragedy Romeo and Juliet—was discovered to contain
hundreds of keys and love letters. The items were detected during a
restoration around Valentine’s Day in 2015.
The statue was
sculpted in 1969 and was installed in Verona because it is considered
the hometown of the fictional Juliet. However, the sculpture has slowly
deteriorated as tourists often rubbed the breasts and arms for good
luck. This caused it to wear and, ultimately, crack.
Soon,
tourists began to insert love letters through these cracks into the
hollow interior of Juliet. There were also lots of keys because lovers
sometimes wrote their names on small padlocks before throwing or hiding
the keys somewhere. The keys and letters were only discovered when
preservationists tried sealing the cracks and creating a duplicate of
the statue.
Confederate Flags, Newspapers Clippings, And Confederate Currency Found Inside A Controversial Confederate Statue
Photo credit: CBS News
For
years, a 363-kilogram (800 lb) statue of a Confederate soldier called
Johnny Reb stood in Orlando, Florida. The statue became controversial
and was widely condemned for being racist and a symbol of white
supremacy. This controversy culminated in its removal in 2017.
At
that time, a small metal box was discovered hidden at the base of the
statue. The box was later revealed to contain newspaper clippings,
Confederate flags, and Confederate dollar bills. The statue itself was
moved to a cemetery and installed near the graves of 37 Confederate
soldiers.
Letters, Newspaper Clippings, Photographs, And Autographs Found Inside Statue
Photo credit: The Boston Globe
In
2014, the statue of the golden lion atop the Old State House in Boston
was discovered to contain a time capsule. It was found in the head of
the lion as the sculpture was removed for renovation.
Interestingly,
the time capsule was not always forgotten. Its existence was reported
in The Boston Globe in 1901. However, the time capsule was soon
forgotten and only remembered when a descendant of the statue’s sculptor
found a letter written by the artist. The letter mentioned the
existence of the capsule and listed its contents.
According to
the letter, the capsule contained newspaper clippings, photographs, and
autographs. There were also several letters written by Boston
politicians and residents. Boston city officials intend to make
duplicates of the statue’s contents and put them in the statue along
with some newer items so they can be discovered again in the 22nd
century.
Scrolls Found Inside Buddhist Statue
Photo credit: Ancient Origins
In
May 2018, it was reported that a 700-year-old, 76-centimeter-tall (30
in) Bodhisattva statue at Hokkeji Temple in Nara, Japan, was discovered
to contain 180 items. The statue was of Monju Bosatsu, Bodhisattva of
wisdom.
Monjus are often depicted as a human seated on a lion.
The human holds a Buddhist book in one hand and a sword in the other.
Sitting on a lion depicts the fact that the human has tamed their mind.
The literature signifies knowledge, and the sword shows they have “cut
through ignorance.”
The 180 items included scrolls, relics,
and other unconfirmed artifacts. Thirty were found in the head, and the
other 150 were inside the body. However, we cannot confirm the contents
of the scrolls because the discovery was made during a CT scan. The
statue itself remains sealed.
A Gold Statue Is Found Inside Another Statue
Photo credit: thevintagenews.com
Phra
Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon is a 2.7-meter-tall (9 ft) Buddha statue
in Bangkok, Thailand. The sculpture used to be covered in stucco, giving
it an appearance of a worthless artifact. It is believed to have been
sculpted in India sometime between the 13th and 14th centuries.
The
statue arrived Bangkok in 1801 and was displayed in a temple of Wat
Chotanaram. It was later moved to Wat Traimit in 1935. However, the
sculpture was so huge—and worthless—that it was left outside the temple
for years. Only a tin roof protected it from the elements.
In
1955, the statue fell as it was about to be transported to another
temple in Bangkok. The stucco plaster covering it cracked, revealing
parts of the gold statue inside. Workers removed the remaining stucco to
reveal the 18-carat gold within.
The gold statue was made in
nine parts. There was also a key so that the parts could be dismantled
for transportation. Historians believe that the statue was covered with
stucco to hide it from the invading Burmese in the 17th century. The
plan worked. The invaders abandoned the statue because they thought it
was worthless.
